Czech Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
2,547,851 games: White 49.0% / Draw 4.7% / Black 46.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 724,097724K | ||
| 497,431497K | ||
| 307,283307K | ||
| 232,112232K | ||
| 185,813186K | ||
| 127,192127K | ||
| 117,594118K | ||
| 87,02287K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.95 White is better
Best play: 4. f4 Qa5 5. Bd3 e5 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. O-O Be7 8. dxe5 dxe5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 572K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.3M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.5M | |
| 2200 and up | 359K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,923 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Bologan, V.
- Grischuk, A. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Anand, V. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Morozevich, A. – Bologan, V.
- Leko, P. – Mamedyarov, S.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
Czech Defense (ECO B07, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 (3 moves).
In 2,547,851 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.0%, Black 46.3% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 28% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Czech Defense
4. f4 scores best for White: 55.2%, with White winning 52.9% and Black 42.6% of 497K games. The most played, 4. Nf3, scores 50.2% in 724K games, and 4. Bg5 scores lowest: 48.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. f4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Czech Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.12% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.07%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.07% | 25,174 |
| 2017 | 0.078% | 43,110 |
| 2018 | 0.076% | 60,001 |
| 2019 | 0.069% | 86,475 |
| 2020 | 0.064% | 187,909 |
| 2021 | 0.073% | 287,502 |
| 2022 | 0.1% | 379,799 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 418,838 |
| 2024 | 0.13% | 450,889 |
| 2025 | 0.12% | 421,286 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.13% | 139,629 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Czech Defense (B07)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/czech-defense